Originally published in the July-August 2026 Lincoln and Continental Comments magazine (Issue # 391)
By John Talbourdet
Lincoln driving season is in full swing, and it is great to enjoy driving and showing off our Lincolns. Summer has started dry and hot in New England, which is good, but keeping vintage Lincolns cool, along with their occupants, can be challenging!
By the time you read this, the Grand National will likely be underway, if not in the books. We received excellent support from Lincoln, which made the many new events extra special, including visits to Fairlane and the Michigan Central Train Station. The Ford Motor Company was instrumental in restoring these iconic 20th-century industry landmarks. The effort that goes into this “grand” event is immense, and it paid off with many smiling faces. One of the challenges was accommodating everyone who wanted to attend some of the events. This is a good problem to resolve!
I’d like you to consider making a new or additional donation to the Lincoln Motor Car Heritage Foundation in support of our goal to provide a living legacy of the Lincoln automobile for the public. The endowment fund has reached a milestone of $2 million, well on the way towards the ultimate goal of providing an ongoing source of funding for the museum. The Foundation also relies on the Homecoming meet income to support the ongoing maintenance expenses. There are many ways to contribute, from a cash donation to including the Foundation as part of an estate plan, naming the Foundation as a beneficiary of retirement assets for life insurance, to name a few. We have a world-class museum on the grounds of the ever-growing Gilmore campus. Please consider the wide range of donation options to the Foundation to present Lincoln’s heritage to visitors to the museum.
At the January board meeting, a task force was created to update our website to make it more user-friendly, particularly on mobile devices. This process requires establishing goals, soliciting vendors, selecting a vendor, and researching other classic automobile websites for ideas. The task force is well underway, and the selected vendor has created a new home page for the team’s review. The team works well together and has provided many suggestions on how best to present your club to members and future members. The new website will be streamlined, containing the same information. However, it will be quicker and content will be easier to find. Once the framework is decided, the “pull-downs” can be sorted and populated. I am confident that this redesign will make your searches more enjoyable.
May your weather be dry and continue to warm up (for us) so you can enjoy your Lincoln- maybe even with the top down! Remember, driving it keeps it limber and brings smiles to people you pass on the road.
John Talbourdet, Lincoln & Continental Owners Club president, lives in Danvers, Massachusetts.